In case I don’t get to see you again… I knew only bits about Mr. G. The bits that don’t really matter. I knew what medications he had been prescribed. I knew his blood pressure. I knew his weight. But I knew nothing about the bits that mattered.
My patient died today. Yesterday, from his Intensive Care Unit bed, he decided to prioritize his comfort over prolonging his life by any means necessary. The day before that he was still willing to allow “everything,” though he was writhing in pain.